Universal Pushes Back 'Fifty Shades' Release Date

The highly anticipated adaptation was set to open Aug. 1, 2014.

Fifty Shades of Grey fans will have to wait an extra six months before the EL James best-seller migrates to the big screen.

Universal Pictures and Focus Features have pushed back the release date for the highly anticipated adaptation from Aug. 1, 2014, to Feb. 13, 2015 -- giving the S&M-fueled love story a Valentine's Day weekend bow.

Despite mobilizing quickly to find a replacement for erstwhile male lead Charlie Hunnam, the studio took the inevitable step of moving the film from the summer 2014 frame.

The film, which stars Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan as the kinky couple Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey, already pushed its production start from early November to Dec. 2 in the wake of Hunnam's abrupt exit. But the studio continued to stick with its 2014 release date until it became clear that it would be impossible to shoot and finish the film in less than eight months.